


Blackbird

by hisen



Category: Naruto
Genre: Anbu Hatake Kakashi, Anbu Yamato | Tenzou, Birds, Developing Relationship, M/M, Nightmares, Senpai-Kouhai Relationship, Teasing, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-14 15:29:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18950899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hisen/pseuds/hisen
Summary: The past always came at three am. Tenzo's nightmares return, a blackbird, and Kakashi, provide relief from them.





	Blackbird

**Author's Note:**

> I like writing about birds, and common blackbirds really do enjoy singing at strange hours in the morning in winter.

Sleep was a blank space between waking hours. It was the way he liked it best. It had taken years to reach that point, of no more nightmares. No good dreams either, but that was never enough to balance it. Just nothing instead, simple oblivion. 

Until now. Tenzo jerked awake, panicked, moved. The relief at movement, not being held hostage by his own body, unable to command it. The terror of sleep paralysis, that demon sitting on his chest when he woke up from his nightmares, trapping him. Not tonight at least. Everything but the demon.

He got up. He could still feel it, the ice cold feeling of his chakra cut off from him, his body trapped, suspended. The wait for death. It was still pitch black outside, like it was inside the tube, inside that room. He shuddered, circled the room restlessly, felt trapped. There was no point going back to sleep. If he fell, it would catch him again. If he stayed awake, he might be able to distract himself, eventually, think of something else. Not get trapped in the past. 

The past always came at three am. The hour of death, nightmares, the darkest point of the night. Tenzo took another loop of the room, anticlockwise, clockwise. Restless, because to stay still would let the past catch him again, even if he stayed awake. He paused at the window, looked out into the darkness, let his eyes adjust. Nothing. Just the dim street light, bare branches, abandoned pavement. The world looked dead. Just as dead as the others. Just as dead as he should have been -

A burst of song from outside interrupted his spiralling thoughts. It made him look back out. Strange. Early, very early. It was January and not even close to dawn. One bird was out there, alone, singing anyway. Tenzo recognised the song. Always the first bird to start singing when they travelled through the night, after the owls fell quiet, asleep. He looked out into the trees, focused on the branches, and saw him. A lone blackbird, calling to himself long before the dawn. Someone else out there, still alive. 

The blackbird didn't see him. He couldn't see him in the darkness and kept singing. No need for it, nobody there to see him. No female bird waiting to be courted. He did it anyway, without any cause, just glad to be alive. Tenzo took a deep breath. Grateful to be alive. Tenzo thought of how glad he was to be alive. Alive and here, awake at three am, with the blackbird. 

A rueful smile, as he remembered Kakashi, insisting that he didn't know what kind of bird was singing as they travelled in the darkness one night, a long journey home after more death. Tenzo explained it to him, exasperated, certain that Kakashi did know and was playing dumb, to annoy him. Tease him. He didn't even think of refusing to explain it. Ridiculous, he should have, but he knew he would do it again. The next time Kakashi insists he doesn't know a common bird call, an animal's foot print, the species of tree they were in, Tenzo would explain it, even when he knows Kakashi knows.

The song changed, no longer trills but sharp panic, an alarm call. The blackbird startled himself, took off in a flutter as Tenzo tilted his head, tried to see what spooked him. A moment later, the flash of white and silver in the dark of the night alerted him, led him to silently open the window. 

"Ah. You're up?" He nodded, didn't offer an explanation. The nightmares, the blackbird, not the kind of thing he could put into words even if he wanted to. Besides, other things were at the front of his thoughts now. He was ready for whatever Kakashi had come for. "Couldn't sleep?"

"I'm fine. What's the mission?" Kakashi took the porcelain mask off, held it thoughtfully for a moment before leaning in through the window. Close to his face. Much closer than either of them usually let others get to them. Tenzo didn't push him away, didn't think of it more than he'd thought about refusing to explain it was a blackbird.

"Mm. Nightmare?" Annoying how easily Kakashi could read his face, even when he tried to hide it. Annoying to know the nightmare still stuck to him even now. Despite the blackbird, being awake, Kakashi here as if he'd called, as if Kakashi had heard him.

"I'm awake now." Kakashi's eyes curved into a smile, amused. 

"So you are." Then Kakashi leaned in close, pulled his mask down just enough to kiss him. Strange, soft, as unexpected in the dead of this night as the song of the blackbird. Made him reel, flush bright red as Kakashi pulled back, pulled his mask back up enough to cover up his smirk. "There, better. Let's go, our assassination isn't going to do itself." 

"Senpai?" Kakashi waved a hand at him, silencing his questioning tone. The blackbird started to sing in another tree, further away from the strange human this time. He sung as the background to the lurch in Tenzo's heart and the blush on his cheeks. 

"Later, later. All will be revealed." 

Tenzo doubted it. He knew better than to rely on Kakashi explaining anything to him. He still didn't argue it as he turned away to get his kit, with his blood throbbing in his ears. The darkness outside, the birdsong, and the lingering warmth of Kakashi's lips on his. The nightmare gone.


End file.
